Archive for the 'Pasty Cline' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

During the Living Sisters' tribute to Pasty Cline at Disney Hall Saturday night (part of the L.A. Phil's Songbook series), newest Sister Alex Lilly explained that Cline's appeal was the way she balanced the “intimate and conversational with the epic.”

Unfortunately, that mix was not often heard on stage.

That's not to say the 90-minute show wasn't a pleasant evening of music. The Living Sisters — a quartet comprised of of local favorites Lilly, Eleni Mandell, Inara George (the vocal half of the Bird and the Bee) and Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark — are consistently charming singers, and the Cline catalog provides a wealth of material to choose from. They were backed by a fine band, anchored by drummer Don Heffington and widely regarded Greg Leisz on pedal steel, and brought a warmth and sense of shared appreciation while their guests, including John Doe and actor/singers John C. Reilly and Zooey Deschanel (of She & Him), relaxed on couches and easy chairs when not performing.

But a tribute show carries with it certain expectations, and on that count the concert fell short.

At their best, such homages not only honor the subject but also illustrate how their work informed the styles of the performers doing the saluting. That wasn't the case here. One problem is that, though the Living Sisters undoubtedly love Cline's music, they're not a good match for it. Shimmying around the stage in pastel cocktail dresses -- all shades of blue, Stark explained, because “Patsy had the brokenest heart in the world” -- their frilly girlishness, even delivered with a wink, felt contrary to Cline's womanly persona.